A disease or disorder of the brain: An encephalopathy is a brain disease, especially one involving alterations of brain structure.

Encephalopathy involves large parts of the brain (or the whole organ), instead of identifiable changes confined just to parts of the brain.

Learn how anxieties and depressions affect the brain.

An infectious degenerative brain disease occurring in cattle; mad cow disease: Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord.

BSE is a neurodegenerative disease found in domestic cattle which is related to a number of other similar diseases found in other animal species, including humans.

The most well-known of these other diseases are scrapie, found in sheep, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, found in humans.

The family of diseases is caused by an abnormally configured protein called a prion. The function of the protein in its normal configuration is not certain.

The diseases are similar to Alzheimer's disease in humans, except the progressive loss of brain function is more rapid.

A diseased cerebral condition ranging from cognitive impairment in children to peripheral neuropathy in adults: While occupational exposure among workers at smelters or battery recycling plants remains an occasional problem, the greatest public health problem at the present time is exsure of young children to decaying fragments of leaded paint which can cause lead encephalopathy.

Encephalopathy characterized by memory loss, vertigo, and generalized weakness: Metabolic craniopathy is due to a metabolic brain disease including hypoxia (abnormal oxygen reduction), ischemia (low oxygen condition because of inadequate blood flow), hypoglycaemia (abnormally diminished concentration of glucose in the blood), or secondary to another organ failure, such as the liver or kidney.

A syndrome due to cumulative punishment absorbed by athletes: A traumatic encephalopathy can occur with boxers, wrestlers, or football players and is characterized by the general slowing of mental functions, occasional bouts of confusion, and scattered memory loss.